Turtle Walks – Animal Welfare | Chennai

Only one in in 4000 Olive Ridley turtles survive to adulthood, you can help save them!

Turtles comes to land only when there is no light or human habitat around. They lay around 100 eggs and close it with mud. Unfortunately,dogs and people in coastal area harm the eggs. So volunteers are needed to recover these eggs.

The recovered eggs are protected by several hatcheries working along the coast, after 48 days those eggs turn to hatchlings and swim their way back to ocean with help of star light. They learn the magnetic signature of their birth place during their journey from sand to sea. When these turtles become adults they will return back to the same coast using the magnetic signature they learnt to lay their eggs (Natal homing).

We take a walk seven kilometres from Neelangarai to Besant Nagar beach. We gather at Neelangarai beach at around 10.30 PM. There is a discussion about turtles and other environmental issues and the walk starts after that. The walk may go on until 4am or 5am depending on whether we find any nests, and how many we find.

To get to Neelangarai beach you have to take the turning off ECR next to Shanthi hospital. There is an arch over the road that says Kapaleeswarar Nagar. We suggest that You leave your vehicles (if any) at the Elliots beach, because when the walk ends you are likely to be tired it’s easier to get back home.